The Treasure of Sun Mountain
by Kitty the drunken butterfly
Summary: Chapter 7! [Okay, now it's Chapter 7. Sorry about that!] After taking in a young woman who was passing through, the Cartwrights don't realize the trouble..and treasure they may have taken in.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bonanza. It probably would pay for my college bills if I did.

**A/N: **I started this story a couple weeks ago as a writing exercise over at the Bonanza1 bulletin board. Now, it's becoming a much larger story with an interesting plot. I don't know how often I'll update this, probably once a week or if I'm lucky, more than that. At the moment, it's just a side project to all the other things I'm working on. Anyways, here's the first chapter.

**The Treasure of Sun Mountain**

**Chapter 1**

Two emerald eyes stared at the dying embers of the fire that had been lit hours ago. She had traveled long and hard but somehow Anna had managed to get lost along the way. She didn't even know where she was anymore. It even surprised her that she had gotten this far away from her past without it bringing her back.

There were times on the trail when she had though about going back but there was nothing left anymore. Somehow Anna's memories had kept her believing that her family was still alive and her ranch was still there. It wasn't and somewhere in her mind she knew that. This lady just didn't want to believe it.

Lady. That was something she had only been called once. Unfortunately he hadn't know the truth about her. She couldn't be called a lady. She didn't even like the word to begin with. She was no lady and she had no intentions of ever becoming one. The female sex was known to some as the weaker of the two but no one had tried to tell her that. There was no weaker sex in her mind and as she sat there in a pair of dusty chaps and a gray beat up men's shirt, she knew that whatever anyone thought would never matter to her.

Adam sighed as Sport picked his way through the thick brush that stood between him and his home. It seemed to him that during the night, the trees got larger, grass got taller, brush got thicker and his home seemed much further than it really was.

He had been chasing strays all day and all he wanted was a good dinner and a hot cup of coffee before he climbed into bed for a good night's rest. Perhaps it was his mind playing tricks on him but he thought he could smell the rich aroma of coffee in the air. Maybe it was the fact that he wanted to taste that hot liquid or maybe it was because there was the smell of coffee in the air. If his eyes weren't deceiving him, Adam could swear he saw a dim light of a campfire not far away as well.

Urging Sport towards it, Adam was curious to know who would have camped themselves out on such a spot on the Ponderosa. It wasn't the best spot for anyone to spend the night as they passed through the vast land. There had been trespassers before on their property and most of them moved out before they ever caught sight of them. The Cartwrights didn't mind having people travel across their land as they went on their journeys to better land, just as long as they didn't decide that they had found their better land on the Ponderosa.

Slowing Sport down as they came upon the small camp site, Adam could hear the nickering of a horse in greeting to them. His own horse answered back as he noticed a lone figure sitting by the fire. It didn't seem to him that it would be much of an issue to tell them that they were trespassing.

Anna looked up as her horse, Dancer, said a cheerful hello to someone. Her pistol was out of its holster, not knowing if it was a friend or an enemy approaching her small encampment. Watching the black clad man approach on the dark chestnut horse in the moonlight, she studied him carefully. He didn't carry a bedroll on his saddle and seemed as if he was quite sure of what he was getting himself into. She considered that he must be the owner of the little piece of land she would be staying on for the night but she decided to still be wary. Anna began to trace the outline of the gun she had inherited as she hoped she wouldn't have to use it again.

"Good evening," Adam said as he pulled Sport to a stop by the campfire of the stranger.

The man's head was bent down low as he held the silver gun in his hands. It glistened in the moonlight and Adam became cautious on approaching him. He didn't want to get himself shot by some drifter passing through his family's land if he could help it. Adam figured he might as well make it seem as if he was friendly enough and in no rush to make the stranger move.

"Got any more coffee left?" he asked.

"Sure," the stranger said before looking up at him. "Help yourself."

Adam was a bit taken back when he realized that the traveler was a woman dressed in men's clothes. Her eyes had a fire that he had seen in his little brother's eyes as well. It was spunk, playfulness and a devious nature, which Adam had learned from experience to watch out for. Although she had veiled it as much as she could, he could also see a bit of fright there as well. From what he could gather, she couldn't have been much older than nineteen year old Little Joe. The woman might have been pretty but under the dark hat and dust filled clothes, he couldn't really tell. He just could see those eyes staring back at him as the fire's glow lit her face.

Adam suddenly realizing he was staring at her in surprise when she broke his gaze to gesture towards the cup by the fire. "Name's Anna," she told him. "Anna Reed."

"Adam Cartwright," he said as he grabbed the cup by the fire and poured himself a drink.

She nodded at him as she studied him carefully. "Nice to meet you."

Adam nodded in reply. "You know, you're trespassing on private property, Miss," he said gently, before taking a drink.

She tilted her head as she looked up at him. "Figured that. Won't be stayin' long. You the owner?"

He swallowed the burning liquid before replying. "My family is," he said, studying her response.

Anna relaxed a bit and holstered the gun that she had been shining with her fingers for the past minute or two. "Just give me a half an hour and I'll be off your land," she told him in reply.

Adam looked somewhat interested at that, "It would take you at least a couple hours to get off the Ponderosa from the way it looks like you're heading. Besides, if you look about as tired as your horse does, then you could use a good night's rest as well. The house is only about a half hour ride from here. I don't think my father would mind letting you stay for the night."

She shook her head. "Couldn't do that, sir. I wouldn't feel right not paying my way for your hospitality. 'Sides, I don't think your family would take too kindly to sharing their home with a stray like me."

"Well, why don't you come along, anyway? I could use the company after the day I've had. If they don't agree, I don't think they'd mine you sleepin' in the barn," Adam replied before finishing his cup of coffee.

"Well, I think I'd feel more comfortable there anyways. Been sleeping in barns and the hard ground for months now, sleeping in a soft bed doesn't seem really appealing to me anymore."

Adam Cartwright smirked a bit. "I understand," he told her. He felt the same way after a long cattle drive. It was hard for him to get use to sleeping in his soft bed again but he was glad to be back in it.

He wasn't sure of this woman. Anna Reed seemed like she could handle herself well but even if she might have been on her own for a while, he'd rather not find her dead, nor would he like any of his family to find her that way as well. He was glad when he saw her snuff out the dying embers with her boots and the gruff Ponderosa dirt.

"Well, Mister Cartwright, if you're sure about that, let me saddle my horse and we can be on our way," Anna told him as she covered the last of the dying fire with her toe. It seemed to her that this was the opportunity she was looking for and maybe now she might get a good night's rest for once.

Adam nodded to her. "I'm sure," he told her before she went to saddle her horse.

There was something about her that made him feel as if something wasn't right. It was just a feeling he got when he had met her. Bringing her to the ranch house seemed like the best idea at the time but now he was beginning to wonder what his father might think about it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Bonanza. Darn it all.

**A/N:** Well, what do you know? Exactly a week from when I last updated. Actually, this might have been up sooner but I was fixing the chapter up a bit. Plot is probably still not that apparent yet but it will be soon. Thanks for the reviews. They really mean a lot.

**Chapter 2**

Joe Cartwright walked back into the great room of the Ponderosa ranch house restlessly. He was home alone, except of course for Hop Sing who had just kicked him out of the kitchen. Joe looked back towards the kitchen innocently as he heard another trail of foreign words coming from their cook. All Joe had done was steal one of the cookies Hop Sing was making. He didn't think it was that big of a deal but nevertheless, the cook had shooed him out of the kitchen and now Joe didn't know what else to do.

He been fixing fence posts all day and had hoped that when he got home, Joe would have a good meal with the family and an evening of playing checkers and talking about various things. When he had arrived at the ranch house and heard the news that his father and Hoss had gone to town, Joe was somewhat annoyed. He had wanted to challenge Hoss to a checkers rematch but it seemed as if it would need to wait until later.

Joe blew out the breath he had been holding as he looked around the quiet room. It just didn't seem like it was his night. The room looked empty without his Pa and brother, Adam sitting in their chairs opposite the fireplace with books in hand, glancing up every so often to notice how Joe and Hoss' checker game progressed. Joe had already set up the checker board nearly an hour ago out of sheer boredom but it was no fun to play checkers by himself.

Finally, he couldn't stand it. Joe had to get out of the house and out of the silence that surrounded him as well. It was too quiet being alone at night without his family there. Unlatching the front door, he stepped outside and into the warm night's breeze. Little Joe breathed in the fresh air, glad to be out of the silent house. Since his Pa and Hoss would be gone until late, Joe wondered when his older brother, Adam, would be home. He had been chasing strays all day and with the sky showing not a speck of daylight; Joe figured Adam was already on his way home.

Hearing the soft sound of hooves as they approached the house, Joe felt as if he had been wrong in thinking that his Father and Hoss would be home later that evening. He was relieved to know that they were back already and that he'd soon have some company.

Joseph felt better knowing that his father and Hoss would be back for the evening. Stepping off the porch, he began to approach the sound, knowing that they'd want to put their horses in the barn for the night. Joe wasn't sure if he was going to help them or just spend some time with Cochise, his own horse. It didn't matter which to him, Little Joe just wanted the company right now.

Joe was surprised when he recognized the outline of Adam as one of the two riders who had stopped near the barn. He had been certain that it was Hoss and his Pa by the sound of the horses' hooves but at that moment, he was just as glad to see Adam. The shadow of the barn seemed to reach out and engulf Adam and the rider with him, ending Joe's hope of identifying the man in the darkness.

"Hey Adam, 'bout time you got back," Little Joe said as he approached the riders cautiously. At that moment, he was beginning to regret he had left his gun in the house. "I've been in the house since I finished with the fence posts for the day, finally glad that someone's here again."

Even in the darkness, Joe could tell Adam was puzzled for a moment. "Pa's not around?"

Joe shook his head as he looked up at him. "He went into town with Hoss. Hop Sing said they'd be back later tonight."

Adam turned to look at his companion in the shadows with him. "You can bed your horse down in the stable for the night," he said with a nod towards the barn.

In response, the figure dismounted silently and nodded gratefully to the two men. Taking the reins of the brown Appaloosa, the man began to lead his horse away before Joe placed a hand on the figure's arm to stop them.

"Seems like my brother forgot to introduce us. My name's Joe Cartwright," he said to the figure.

"I'm Anna. Anna Reed," the woman said as she turned to look towards Joe.

Like his brother, Joe was a bit taken back to find himself looking at the face of a girl instead of the masculine features of a man as he had expected. She seemed close to his own age but Joe wasn't able to tell for sure in the dark.

"..And now you see why I didn't introduce you," Adam replied softly with a slight smirk.

"How do you do?" Joe asked as his face changed to a flirty grin.

Anna looked him over in amusement as she tried not to laugh at the comment Adam had made. Was this Joe Cartwright trying to flirt with her or make general conversation? She wasn't sure which but whatever the case; he was obviously ignoring his brother's comment.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all," Anna told him before she began to head towards the barn once again.

"Well, let me help you with that then," Joe replied as he gently tried to take the horse's reins from her.

She pulled the reins out of his reach as she stepped back from him. "No, I'm quite alright, Mr. Cartwright," Anna replied gently. "But you could help me find a stall that would be best suited for Dancer."

Joe stared at her soft features with interest. "Dancer? Oh, the horse. Right. And call me Joe," he told her before walking with her towards the barn.

Adam sighed as he rolled his eyes at his younger brother's actions. He had just known that was going to happen. Any young pretty girl the Cartwrights were acquainted with seemed to meet with Joe's hope to charm every one of them. This one seemed as if she would put up quite a fight before she fell under the charms of any man. The battle between Anna and Joe would be an interesting one and Adam hoped he'd be able to witness most of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Do I own Bonanza yet? Nope. Probably never will.

**A/N:** Sorry it's been a while. I just was finishing up school. Next chapter should be up soon.

**Chapter 3**

"My parents thought I was a wild Indian when I was little," Anna told the two Cartwright boys a little while later.

They had bedded the horses down for the evening and Joe had somehow in that time convinced her to come inside for something to eat before she went off to bed. Actually, Anna hadn't been that hard to convince since she had wanted nothing more than a good meal and a warm place to rest for a bit. Joe's invitation would allow her to do just that.

"After I use to braid my hair as a little girl, I use to take goose feathers and stick them in the braids to spruce them up a bit," she added, telling the boys about one of her childhood memories.

"Where'd you get the goose feathers?" Adam asked curiously as he walked her towards the house along with his younger brother.

"My mother had a goose named Ester that only seemed to like her so she'd get them for me when she use to feed the sour old witch," Anna replied as she rubbed her arm, remembering that the goose had once bitten her there.

Joe chucked. "Sounds like you got along real well with that animal."

"Oh yeah," she said sarcastically as Joe opened the door of the house for her. "Use to chase me to school every morning. I'm sure she loved me to death."

She stopped in the entryway of the log home, her green eyes wide n amazement and the thoughts of their conversation quickly vanishing from her mind. The Cartwright's home was much larger than the Reed's had ever been but the size of the house wasn't what astonished the young girl. It was the red velvet settee that had really caught her eye.

"Hey, are you alright?" Joe asked the girl as undid his gun belt. She had suddenly become quiet and he wasn't sure why.

"A red settee," Anna said in awe. "My mother always wished we had one of those. May I sit on it?"

Joe exchanged a strange look with his brother before responding. "Sure. That's what we usually do with it," he told her with a grin.

Anna approached it slowly. Her mother had spend hours fawning over the descriptions of settees and other expensive furniture in catalogues at the general store but every year there was only enough money to get the Reeds through the winter until spring. The dark red fabric and smoothly shaped wooden frame was just like Mary Reed had always described it would be. In Anna's mind, it was as if this perfect piece of furniture had been made with her mother in mind. Unlike the hardwood chairs that her father had made, a settee could have sat her four younger brothers; her sister, her mother and herself or her mother and father when they sat up late at night by the fire. Anna knew she would have loved it if she had ever seen it.

Quickly, she sat down on it with a bounce. It was quite comfortable and she had a feeling that the two Cartwright brothers must have thought she was crazy. She knew a simple explanation could clear up any doubts they might have in their minds about her sanity.

"My mother always wanted a settee. I wished I could have bought her one," Anna explained, feeling the smooth wood on the back of the seat. "We were a bit too poor to buy one so we made due with what we had," she added looking up at the two brothers, one standing next to the bookcase while the youngest had followed her to the couch and was standing next to her side.

"You're welcome to sit on ours for as long as you like," Joe replied with a grin as he took a seat next to her.

Anna smiled nostalgically as she looked back down towards the seat. She had a feeling she was going to like it here. Finding the one thing her mother had always wanted in the home of a stranger was like a sign from above. It gave her the strange feeling that her mother was still watching over her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Cartwrights or Bonanza. Darn.

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait. I've been working on the other chapters though so don't worry. They'll soon be up. Hope you enjoy this one.

**Chapter 4**

Adam scanned the bookshelf as he half listened to Anna and Joe behind him. There was a book he was sure the Cartwrights' owned but he wasn't exactly sure where it was located. It had been years since Ben had sat the boys down to hear the stories of adventure but it seemed just like yesterday to Adam. As adults, they seemed to have forgotten about the games they use to play as pirates of the high seas. He wouldn't admit it but Adam somewhat missed playing those silly games of yesteryear. Thankfully, their guest had reminded him of that long forgotten book from years ago.

To the right of Robinson Crusoe, he found it sitting still looking as if it was waiting for those childish boys to pick it up once again. Pulling it off the shelf, Adam found himself looking at it with awe once again. A General History of Pyrates was the title imprinted in gold onto the faded blue cover. The pages were yellowing in age and if he remembered correctly, a few had even been ripped. It was one of the oldest books on the Cartwright shelf and had been a gift to their father when he had begun work at sea. From what the boys had been told, Ben Cartwright's captain had given it to him so that the young man would know the dangers and the signs of piracy. He had no desire to join piracy and the book had served more of a purpose towards his sons and their imaginary games as children. With the book in hand, Adam walked towards the settee, leaving the memories of the past as he began to pick up Joe and Anna's conversation again.

"His name was Henry. Makes me think of you in a way," Adam heard from their young guest.

"Who are we talking about? A young love of yours?" he asked with a wink as he handed the old book over to her.

Anna laughed as she took it from him. "No. One of my younger brothers. Joe reminds me a lot of him." Adam nodded thoughtful to her before heading towards the sideboard to remove his coat.

"Thank you for the book," Anna told him as she began leafing through it with interest.

Curiously, Joe leaned over towards her to get a closer look at the title of the book his brother had given her. "The General History of Pirates? Hey, I remember this book. Pa use to read it to as kids," Joe said excitedly. "You know, I forgot all about it until now."

"So had I, Joe," Adam replied, setting his coat down before he began to remove his gun. "Anna reminded me of it on the way here."

"Don't tell me your interested in the romantic stories of pirates, m' lady?" Little Joe asked her with wink

Anna laughed.. "Actually, my father liked to boast that we were related to pirates. You see, my father's family came from a long line of seamen. I don't know if they were really pirates but I always thought it was a funny thing to brag about."

"Hey, you know, we have more in common than I thought," Joe said. "Adam's Grandpa use to be a sailor and our Pa was a sailor at one point too."

She looked at the young Cartwright curiously. "Adam's grandfather? Wouldn't that be your grandfather as well?"

Adam shook his head. "No. Joe and I have different mothers. My Pa remarried after my mother's death," he explained.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea," Anna told them softly.

"What you said about your father," Joe began. "Do you think he was proud of your grandfather for something else that he did?"

Anna shook her head slowly. "I don't know, Little Joe," she replied thoughtfully. "I never met him. All my Pa ever told my brothers and I about him was pirate stories. I never once heard a story about my Pa and him."

"Could be there weren't any stories to tell," Adam suggested, taking a seat in his father's red chair.

"That could be the case," Anna replied with a nod, furrowing her eyebrows. "He only said he met my Grandpa only once when he was older but he would never say much about it. Only that he had already married my mother and that my grandpa had given them a wedding present but they had lost it on the trip out here."

"Why did you ask Adam about that book?" Little Joe asked curiously.

"I wanted to see if the stories my father told me were true. He seemed to know an awful lot about pirates considering we didn't own any books on them. I figured that he had made most of it up but on the way here, Adam and I got on the topic of the sea and ocean life and he suggested that I take a look at your book to see how much my father had really known."

"Take as long as you want to read it," Adam told her as he leaned back, now comfortable in his father's chair. "You can get it back to us whenever you finish it. I'm surprised that old relic isn't covered in dust. It hasn't been read in ages. "

Anna smiled as she looked down at the book that would become her new teacher in the world of piracy. "Thank you very much. You know you really didn't even have to offer to allow me to stay here. I would have been fine. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

"That may be so but you seemed to agree quite quickly after I made the offer," Adam replied with a chuckle.

She laughed to cover her embarrassment that was beginning to show in her flushed cheeks. "I did, didn't I?"

"Well, I wouldn't blame you," Joe told her with a grin. "I'd prefer a soft bed to the hard ground anytime, if you asked me."

Anna shrugged, not wanting to tell that that she wouldn't be sleeping in their house that evening. "I suppose," she replied as the sound of hooves drummed outside of the Cartwright's house.

"That must be Pa and Hoss," Adam commented as he listened to the horses outside their home.

"Hoss who?" Anna asked curiously as she looked between the two brothers.

"That's our other brother," Little Joe replied.

Her eyes widened. "Another brother? You failed to mention that. How many brothers are there in your family?"

"There's just the three of us," Adam replied with a smirk as he looked between Anna and Joe. "Why don't you introduce Anna to them, Joe. I'm going to let Hop Sing know we'll be having a guest for dinner," he told them before rising from his Pa's chair and heading off towards the kitchen.

"Sure, Adam," Little Joe replied even though he felt that Adam should be the one to tell Pa that he had invited Anna to stay at their house for the night.

"I really hope your father doesn't mind me staying here," Anna said to him as Joe helped her off the settee.

"Nah, I think he'll be alright with it. We get lots of visitors at the Ponderosa. There's always someone stopping by," Joe told her with a smile as they made their way to the door.

"Sounds like your ranch is pretty busy," Anna replied, adjusting the dark brown hat that still sat atop of her head.

"Oh, Pa sees to that alright. There's always something to do even if we do have guests," he replied.

"That's understandable. You've got a lot of land to take care of, lots of things to get done," Anna told him with a nod.

Little Joe sighed tiredly. "You can say that again."

"Well, if your father will let me, I'd be glad to give you a hand tomorrow. I'd like to pay for the hospitality your family has shown me so far," Anna told him as they reached the door.

"You don't have to do that," Joe argued as his hand came to rest on the door handle.

"But I want to," she insisted before he could say anymore.

Little Joe looked down into her determined green eyes. He had only known Anna for only a short while but he already knew that she would fight for what she believed. Joe liked that about her, even though she most likely was as stubborn as he could be.

He smiled at her, giving into her request. "Alright, I'll let Pa know you'll be helping me tomorrow."

"What will we be doing?" she asked him as Joe finally opened the door for her.

"Same thing I was doin' today. Fixin' fence posts, then maybe after that, we could have a picnic...," Joe trailed off, his voice filled with hope as he lead her outside.

Anna smiled teasingly. "We'll see about that picnic."

Joe smiled back at the young girl, hoping that he could convince her. When he introduced her to his Pa, he hoped he would take a liking to her just as Joe had. Then she possibly could for more than a day to pay for her bed and board. If he played his cards right, maybe he could even persuade her to stay until his Pa gave that summer party next month. Joe could only hope that she'd want to stay that long.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bonanza but I do own Anna.

**A/N:** Wow. It's been a while since I updated this story. Sorry about that. Some things came up and I hardly had anytime to do anything this summer at all. Thank you for the reviews!

**Chapter 5**

"Pa, Hoss," Little Joe called out as he walked Anna towards his father and brother who were dismounting from their horses.

Ben Cartwright turned to look at his youngest son as he noticed the stranger next to him. In the pale light, he could swear that the outline was of a young girl and for some reason, Ben wasn't surprised.

"Hello, Joe. How did those fence posts go today?" Ben asked, hoping that his youngest son had finished his assigned work for the day.

"Fine, Pa," Little Joe replied. "I'd like you to meet Anna Reed. Anna, this is my Pa and my older brother, Hoss."

The gentlemen removed their hats as Anna extending her hand to the gray haired man in front of her. "Hi. I hope you don't mind your son allowing me to stay here for the night."

"Well, Ma'm. I'm pleased to meet you," Ben said as he shook her hand. In the pale lighting, he could see her soft face and the tuffs of dark hair that seemed to stick out sporadically from beneath her hat. Something inside of him made Ben think of Marie but he brushed the thought aside for a moment. "I must say it is a bit of a surprise to meet you but we're always glad to have a visitor on the Ponderosa.

"Oh, I don't intend to be a visitor, Mr. Cartwright, if that's alright with you. I'd like to help Little Joe finish the rest of the fence posts tomorrow. Like I told your son, I wouldn't feel right not paying my own way," Anna told him with a smile.

Ben glanced quickly at his youngest son, mentally noting to himself to have a chat with him later that evening. "Well, have the two of you had supper yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

His son shook his head. "No, Adam and Anna just got here," Joe chuckled at that. "Adam and Anna. Kinda rhymes, doesn't it?"

Ben Cartwright was a bit perplexed. His oldest son had brought this girl to his ranch? It sounded like something Joe would have done but Adam seemed a bit old to do such things.

"Is Adam in the house now?" Ben asked as he tried to hide his curiosity.  
Joe looked a bit confused. "Yeah, Pa. He should be in the kitchen. Anything wrong?"  
Ben smiled at his youngest son. "No, nothing's wrong, son. Hoss, would you mind taking care of the horses?"

"Sure, Pa," the largest Cartwright said as he took the reins of his father's horse.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Reed. I hope you'll excuse me, there's something I need to discuss with my son," Ben said with a slight nod to the young lady.

"No need to apologize. I can understand," Anna replied with a smile, knowing the scene all too well. It wasn't the first time she had met someone who had taken her back to their home without their family's permission. Most of them seemed worried until she mentioned that she'd rather spend the night in their barn than intrude in their homes. Even more of them liked the idea that she would even help with chores the next day to pay back their hospitality to her.

With a nod and a smile to the girl, he headed towards his home to find out what was on his eldest son's mind. It had been a while since a strange woman had ended up spending time on the Ponderosa because of his oldest son's request. He had noticed Joe looked upon the young girl with interest but what of Adam? Would two of his boys be fighting for the attention of this young girl? He hoped that Adam could explain what he wanted to know.

"Adam?" Ben Cartwright called out as he entered his home. "Adam?"

"Yeah, Pa?" came the reply after the sound of footsteps were heard coming from the kitchen.

"There's a girl outside with Joe..," Ben trailed off as he took off his hat and gun belt as he hoped that his son would finish his sentence for him.

Adam nodded. "You mean Anna?" he asked, not waiting for his father's reply. "I found her a mile or two from here. From what I learned she was going to California to see her uncle. Told me her family was dead but didn't really go into any detail and I didn't push it," he sighed as he crossed his arms across his chest worriedly. "There's something about her, Pa, but I can't put my finger on it."

Ben blinked at his son in confusion as he laid his gun belt down on the side board. "What do you mean, son?"

Adam shook his head. "I can't explain it, Pa. It's as if something told me I had to bring her back here to the Ponderosa where she'd be safe."

"Safe? Safe from what?" his father asked worriedly.

The oldest Cartwright sighed. "I don't know. It's just a feeling that I had, Pa. Something told me to bring her here."

Ben looked worried. He didn't like the sound of what his son was telling him. "Do you think this..feeling you have has anything to do with her and Little Joe?"

Adam shook his head as he tried to get his thoughts together, "No, Pa. This feeling I had went away once we were here. It was really odd."

Ben Cartwright sighed as he rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions. It's just that I was surprised to hear you had invited a girl out here."

Adam smiled. "I understand, Pa. Feel like I'm turning into Little Joe. Next thing you know, you'll be telling me to get my feet off the table."

Ben laughed. "Well, as long as you don't start turning into Hoss as well. I don't think Hop Sing would know what to do if there were two people with the appetite of Hoss here."

"We'd probably eat you and Little Joe out of house and home," Adam replied with a small chuckle.

The two men laughed together for a moment before Ben remembered something he wanted to ask his son. "That reminds me. Does Hop Sing know we're having a guest for dinner?"

"Yeah. I told him just before he kicked me out of the kitchen. Apparently he thinks I'm going to turn into Hoss as well and steal one of those cookies that were cooling," Adam replied in amusement.

Ben chuckled as he heard the click of the front door behind him. Knowing that it must be his sons and their guest, he quickly moved out of the way of the door.

"Hey, Pa, you know Ms. Reed's horse is the purtiest little Appaloosa I've ever seen. You just got to see that lil' mare," Hoss said excitedly as he entered the house.

Ben looked towards his cheerful son and then to Joe and Anna who followed behind him. Adam didn't need to take an oath to his father if he believed that she would be safe on the Ponderosa from whatever chased her. Anna might be a stranger in their house but she wouldn't be for very long.

"Well, Miss, I suppose you're hungry. Hoss, why don't you show Anna where she can wash up a bit and then we can sit down and have some dinner," Ben told her warmly as he heard his own stomach growl quietly.

She smiled. "Thank you Mr. Cartwright. I doubt I'm the only one who's a bit hungry. When Hoss wasn't telling Joe and I how pretty he thought Dancer, that's my horse, was, he kept tell us how hungry he is."

Ben looked at her with a smile before looked over at his middle son. "Well, I guess you better clean up in a hurry. I can't have my family starving to death."

Hoss nodded enthusiastically. "Right, Pa. If I don't eat soon, I'll shrivel away to nothing," he said as he set his hat down on the side board. "C'mon Anna, I'll show you where to wash up."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** See Chapter 1

**A/N:** I feel really bad for not updating this in quite a while. I want it to be known that I have been working on it though and I'm on Chapter 14 or 15 right now. I'm not sure which it is yet. I hope I can get these chapters up for you soon but I really want to take my time with it since this is the first long Bonanza story that I have posted. I already have another one in the works if anyone is curious but you're not going to see it on this website until I finish this one. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 6**

In the early morning hours of the next day, Anna lay in the hayloft in the barn of the Cartwright's barn. She had sat in on one of the best dinners she had ever had. The food that they gave her was probably the most delicious things she had ever eaten since her mother's cooking. Anna wasn't a very good cook herself and living off her own food for the past few years and it hadn't been as delightful as she would have wanted it to be. She wished she could stay longer on the Ponderosa with one of the possibly best cooks alive and the wonderful Cartwright men but she knew it wasn't possible.

As sunlight pierced through the walls towards the young girl, she wondered if anyone was up at the ranch house yet. Dawn was only beginning to break and the shadows of the night were beginning to pass over as a rooster began to crow. Anna wasn't interested in finding out if anyone was up yet. She was comfortable on the crisp hay that she rested upon and had no interest in getting up just get. The Cartwrights had tried to persuade her to stay in their guest room but Anna had refused as nicely as she could. The last time Anna had stayed in a stranger's house that had been nice enough to invite her in, she had awoken them with her nightmares and bloodcurdling screams that followed each one.

Anna could never remember what she was dreaming about but every night when she was around others, she would awake with the fear that she would do it again. She had a feeling she knew what it was about – her family. The last family she had stayed with told her she had been screaming for her parents. Not wanting another scene happening like that again, Anna refused to take a place for the night in anyone's home from then on.

It had been nearly two years since their death and Anna refused to carry them on her shoulders for her whole life. Perhaps she didn't scream anymore in the night but she saw no reason to take a chance. On some nights, the nightmares would return and they were always of the same thing. The dark smoke-filled air, their half burned home and her unrecognizable family burned in the blaze. She shut her eyes tight to try and forget the sight but it had been carved too deep in her memory. Shaking her head, Anna tried to clear the pictures that plagued her so early in the day. She didn't want to continue in this frame of mind. With the dawning of a new day, she hoped that the thoughts that plagued her subconscious through the night would disappear with the darkness that they living in.

It was a new day. Anna stretched as she began to stand up from her bedroll being careful not to hit her head on the slanted ceiling of the stable. After rolling up her blanket and stashing her things together, she would feed Dancer before going into the Cartwright's great house for a breakfast that Anna was quite looking forward to. Then of course, she would lend a hand to putting up the rest of the fence posts with Little Joe as she had told them before. She smiled at the though of the young man. He was wonderful but Anna wasn't looking for wonderful. She was looking for home and although the Ponderosa was wonderful, Anna knew it wasn't what she was looking for. Maybe her new home was waiting for her San Francisco but she wasn't sure if they would have what she was looking for either.

Nearby the roadside which Adam had found the young girl the night before, three men sat sipping their morning coffee knowing what they were looking for – Anna Reed.

"What makes you think she still has it, Max?" a lean cowboy with an ugly sneer asked as he sipped his coffee. "She could have already gotten that money and taken off for good."

"Jack, Jack, when will you learn? How many times must I tell you? She still doesn't know where that money is. Do you think that she'd take all that time to wire that relative of hers in San Francisco if she had gotten that money two years ago," Max Banner spat back at his brother.

"But Max," His cousin, Drake Roberts interjected. "If she don't know where that money is, then neither do we."

"That's why we're following her tracks, you blame fool!" Max growled back angrily before tossing the rest of his coffee into the fire. "Get your stuff together. We're movin' on."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Do I really need to tell you that I don't own? I don't and I won't. Ever.

**A/N:** Is it me or were the first few chapters really short? Sorry. They should begin to get longer starting now. This one was really short before I rewrote it so now it's about four handwritten pages or so. Still don't know how many chapters there are going to be altogether. I'm guessing around twenty-something. Yes, we've got a long way to go so let's get going then!

**Chapter 7**

Joe leaned back in the grass under the shade of a tall Ponderosa Pine as he finished the last of the cold fried chicken Hop Sing had packed. "You know, I'm really glad that you agreed to this picnic, Anna," Joe said told the young girl he was with.

The brown haired girl smiled at him shyly. "Well, I peaked at what Hop Sing was putting together and I can't resist chicken. Besides," she continued, pulling a wind blown stray hair from her face. "When I thought about it, it seemed silly to disincline your request if we were going to be working together all day.

Little Joe studied her for a moment as his hat blew onto the side of the picnic basket. "It's windy today isn't it?" he asked as she stopped his hat from blowing away from the couple.

She nodded. Joe had known her for such a short period of time but he felt so drawn to her whenever Anna was near him. It had hardly been one day and yet he wished she would stay with them forever.

"You know, you're really beautiful when you smile, Anna," he said as she grasped the hat in her hand with triumphant grin.

Her smile faded as she rested the hat halfway inside the open picnic basket and began to blush in embarrassment. "Well, thanks," she finally said, biting the inside of her cheek before rising to her feet. She remembered the last time someone had told her that and it didn't make her very happy. "I don't really know what else to say," Anna told him before rushing away.

Joe followed her curiously to the team of horses tied beneath the shady arms of a tall elm. Anna buried her head into the mare's brown mane, breathing in the smell of the horse next to her. Just with one whiff of the smell of horses, it was as if nothing had ever changed those last few years. It brought her back to barn work that would be done everyday on her parents' small farm. Everyday it was the same type of work and even though Anna never did like it, she wished for one more day to be working the stable or the fields again.

Joe's voice pulled her away from the memories she was finding herself immersed in. "Anna?" he asked worriedly.

Pulling her head away from the mare's neck, she looked over at him sadly. "Anna, I didn't mean to..," he began but she shook her head.

"I'm fine. I just scared myself, that's all." She smiled faintly before letting go of the horse next to her. "I suppose that sounds funny to you.." she trailed off as her eyes flickered between Joe and the fence posts behind him.

"I think we should get back to work," she said before brushing past him to the wagon of timber.

Joe grabbed her arm as she passed him by. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" he asked, not sure if he had been to forward with her.

A faint smile flickered upon her face as she took his free hand. "Come on. We better get these fences done instead of jawing all day."

She led him back to the back of the wagon and began to pull one of the boards out with Little Joe. "The last time a person, any person, told me that I was beautiful it was my father. It was my birthday and the last time I ever saw him alive. The last time I ever saw any of my family alive," she explained as she grabbed the other end of the board and they began to bring it to the half finished corral.

"I had six siblings. My younger brother Henry would have been three this spring," she said. "I had gone to see my friends, our family friends of the nearby tribe of Indians who lived a day's ride from us. We were all friends with them but I was the one who spent the most time there and I usually got in trouble for that. They gave me Dancer as a gift that day. When I came back the next day, my family was dead," she explained, holding the fence up as Joe hammered a nail into place.

"I knew it wasn't Indians because I was with the only ones who lived near us. They mourned their death right along with me. Without them there, I didn't have anything to keep me in Dakota. That's when I left."

Joe shook his head as he finished hammering in the second nail. "It doesn't make sense. Who would kill them?"

Anna bit her lip. "I don't know, Little Joe. All the other farms were fine in the area. I've tried to chase them down but I never could find out who they were. I've thought about it for two years and the way I see it, they were after something. Our home was trashed and then burned. The stone chimney didn't burn and some of the timber was still intact and I was able to tell that from the rubble. It just doesn't make sense." Anna replied slowly. "It didn't mean anything that it was my birthday that day. It just happened to coincide with what took place."

Little Joe looked at her sadly as she took her turn with the hammer. "You've been living with that for two years? Alone?" He shook his head. "I don't know how you can be so calm about it."

"Oh, I've been angry. I still am. I think I'll always be angry, Little Joe," Anna replied hammering the nail into the fence board with more force than was needed.

"I've wanted to kill whoever it was with all my strength. I wanted to dance on their graves but I don't know who they are or where they've gone," she said before starting on the second nail with less force than before. "I've realized I can't try to get revenge for the rest of my life. It's not easy to say that I won't but I've got to do it or it'll eat me up inside and even though I'll still be living, I'll be as dead as they are. Life goes on for the living, Joe. If there's nothing else, I've learned that these past few years."

The youngest Cartwright watched her with a small amount of admiration. He wasn't sure if he or his family could do anything to find the people that had hurt her but he hoped they could. Anna Reed was a young woman he was become very glad to know. He wished she would stay. They could give her a place to live on the Ponderosa and maybe she would stop searching. Joe thought there was even a certain feeling he had growing inside his heart for her. He couldn't tell her though, not yet. Not until he was ready.


End file.
